Many coaches have used the same words that Windham’s Brian Crudden uttered on Thursday night.

“I think Killingly is just a far better team than their record shows. They have played everybody tough this year,” Crudden said after his team held off the Redmen, 49-30, in a game that was a closer than the score may indicate.

That’s probably little consolation for the Killingly coaching staff, as it was the Whippets (6-3) who produced when they had the opportunities while the Redmen faltered. That was especially true in a 5-minute, 40-second span starting at the end of the first half and into the third quarter.

Killingly (2-7) had just scored to tie the game at 16 with 4:27 left in the second quarter and were hoping to take that momentum into the locker room. That was dashed when Windham moved the ball to the Killingly 43, and on a third-and-13 Killingly coach Chad Neal warned his team to watch for the home run ball.

The warning fell on deaf ears.

“I rolled out, there was good blocking and I saw (receiver) Jack (Risley) make a first cut and I just led him,” Windham quarterback Alex Beaudreault said.

“Instead of a one touchdown game, it becomes a 16-point game and now we’re really fighting an uphill battle,” Neal said.

The Redmen fumbled at their own 34, which linebacker Dakota Fleming recovered. It was his second big play of the game; he also picked up a blocked punt in the first half which resulted in a Windham score.

Two plays later after the fumble, Beaudreault threw to Clarke for a 32-yard score and the 36-16 lead.

Game over? Not quite.

The Redmen scored on two of the next three touchdowns and recovered an onside kick at the Windham 49-yard line with 4:53 left in the game. Killingly quarterback Dezmond Kennawi (8-for-10, 159 yards) had a solid night passing, but didn’t see Fleming.

Page 2 of 2 - “Spencer (Hill) read the screen perfectly (and) jumped the route, and I saw the quarterback point and I was like, ‘I got this,’ ” Fleming said.

The interception sealed the win for the Whippets.

“The first game of the year, when we lost to Stonington by one, our outside linebacker play was not very good,” Crudden said. “Now, it is probably the most improved part of our game plan with Dakota and Mark Frazer.”